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Dr Johannes Steinmuller OLD 5.06A and Dr Fuad Marco Devecchi Musallam OLD 6.08

This course is compulsory on the BA in Anthropology and Law, BA in Social Anthropology and BSc in Social Anthropology. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.

This course discusses important aspects of anthropological theory in relation to ethnographic research. It covers the development of anthropological thought from the second half of the 19th century to today. Anthropology is situated within its context, including the social conditions of scholarship, as well as the histories of empires, nation-states, and capitalism. The course is intended to give students a sound grasp of central theoretical concepts and of their significance for empirical research.

10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of classes in the MT. 10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of classes in the LT.

This year, some or all of this teaching will be delivered through a combination of virtual lectures, classes and online interactive activities. The contact hours listed above are the minimum expected. This course has a reading week in Week 6 of both MT and LT.

Students are expected to prepare discussion material for presentation in the classes. Anthropology students taking this course will have an opportunity to submit one tutorial essay for this course to their academic mentor in the MT and one in the LT. For non-Anthropology students taking this course, a formative essay may be submitted to the course teacher in the MT and in the LT.

A Barnard, History and Theory in Anthropology, J Clifford, The Predicament of Culture; M Engelke, Think like an anthropologist; EE Evans-Pritchard, A History of Anthropological Thought; C Geertz, The Interpretation of Cultures; A. Kuper, Anthropology and Anthropologists; GW Stocking, Observers Observed; GW Stocking, Victorian Anthropology; B Malinowski Argonauts of the Western Pacific; R Benedict, Patterns of Culture; EE Evans-Pritchard, Witchcraft oracles and magic among the Azande; V Turner, The Forest of Symbols; M Sahlins, Culture and Practical Reason. Detailed reading lists are provided at the beginning of the course.

Exam (100%, duration: 3 hours) in the summer exam period.

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.